Merc warning beep

[propster]

When my oil remote tank on the floor gets low I get an intermittent beep. The reservoir on the engine under the cowl is still good (full). So I add a gallon and it still beeps, though not usually as much. Only thing seems to stop it is if we take the cap off the engine reservoir - seems to relieve some sort of vaccuum or pressure problem. Is this normal? Any other way of adding the oil to avoid this, other than anticipating low oil in advance and not letting it beep in the first place? Thanks.

[propster]

Forgot to mention, it's a '95 efi 150 Merc 2 stroke (obviously). Thx

[BoxMN]

Hey Keith,

Are you sure it is not the water in the fuel filter / water seperater filter? Take the cowl off, turn the key on (not starting it but just on) and look for the red light. If so its water in your tank.

Do a search here for water fuel seperater, you will find plenty of info. Good luck.

edit - here is the link:

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ub...ers#Post1985434

[propster]

Remembered that from you telling me before. That wasn't it. It definitely was out of oil, just concerned about it still beeping after filling back up.

[BlueLundFishrman]

impeller??

[BoxMN]

Hmmm, not sure. There was this message from Hydro:

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ub...wne#Post1986659

Also remember from when we first had the beep from water in fuel, before we knew what it was, dennis at Nelson told us if we keep getting the beep, but the red LED light is NOT on (meaning no water in fuel) that the oil injection gears "could" be bad... He said that is the one we DO NOT want, as it is a bigger and more expensive problem. Never ended up being it for us.

I know I have run the oil tank down a bit, but we rarely ever let it get below half.

[hydro]

If the "Beep" is oil reservoir related, try filling the tank on the motor up to the top, then run it for a while to see if the problem continues. There is a float in the reservoir tank with a switch and if the pressure on the boat tank does not completely fill the engine reservoir, you will get intermittent beeps as the oil sloshes around.

[propster]

That float/cap with the wires is new also as of last fall, but I think I will try filling the engine tank at the same time next time we fill the floor tank just in case. Even though it's mostly still full, topping it off might prevent the additional beeping. We were told the same thing as Box, if the oil pump goes that's a more expensive proposition and he's seen a lot of guys just start adding oil to the main fuel tank vs spending the money.

[boatfixer]

Any sort of air leak at the remote tank cap or hoses will prevent the engine mounted tank from filling all the way. When ever there is air in the line, or when refilling an empty system, merc recomends loosening the reservour cap to purge the line. I mention this only because you say if you loosen the cap it quits. I'm just wondering if the cap on the remote tank is leaking air and not allowing the oil to run to the res tank and by loosening the cap, you are essentially purging the system of air??

[leech~~]

Have you changed brands of oil lately? Or have you checked the oil filter. Not sure if there is a float in the oil tank, but maybe pins with low voltage to them that lose contact when the oil goes below the pins?

[hydro]

If you run the system with the engine reservoir cap off or loose, the pressure system to the boat tank will push all of your oil out through the loose cap. It's the same thing that happens when the cap on the engine tank cracks. I know by experience, as my cap broke and the system pumped a gallon of oil all over the motor in about a half hour.

The float in the engine tank carries a magnet, and the level is sensed when the magnet closes a reed switch in the cap assembly. If the float bounces up and down, or is just low, the reed switch will open and the ECU will sound the beeper.

[propster]

I have not tried running it with either cap (floor or engine tank) off or loose. The only thing that seems to make it quit beeping is after filling the floor tank, running it, it beeps, stop engine, lift cowl, unscrew engine tank cap, screw back on. Doing this once or twice makes it stop. If I tried running the engine with upper (engine) tank cap off to purge air in line from floor tank, I believe I will get oil all over the place, won't I?

[boatfixer]

I may not have worded it right. When bleeding the system, it is recomended that you loosen the res cap to purge the air from the system, then tighten the cap. It seems to me that, in a sense, thats what you are doing, purging air. I'm not suggesting you run with the cap loose. I would take a good look at the cap and lines on the floor tank and make sure its not leaking air.

[hydro]

It sounds like you may have a bad reed switch in the reservoir cap. Next time it beeps, pull the cowl and without touching the cap, trace the wires to the back of the engine and pull the one with the connector apart and test continuity to ground, then remove/replace the cap and see if anything changed. If it changes, the cap needs to be replaced (about $40 to $80 depending on where you buy it)

The last thing you want to find here is the "bad pump gear" as mentioned above. It is a plastic gear on the crackshaft that requires complete engine disassembly to replace.

[propster]

Hydro, she's not beeping now, and I don't believe it will until the next time my floor tank runs out - if I don't keep it full. Could it still be a bad reed switch? Boatfixer, I believe you may be on to something with the bleeding. The hose and cap on the floor tank seem good - it sucks the oil real well, no air leaks that I can tell, and if I do loosen that cap I can hear the pressure or sucking going on.

[hydro]

Propster, If the only time it beeps is when the boat tank runs empty, it is probably the float in the engine tank riding a bit low and setting off the alarm. Exactly what it is supposed to do.

BTW, the system is pressure operated on the boat tank, pushing the oil up to the engine. That's why a loose or cracked cap on the engine tank makes such a mess.

[propster]

So if I add a little extra oil to the engine tank at the same time as I fill the floor tank, I'm shortening the time it takes for the engine tank to fill by itself and theoretically shouldn't beep at all?

[BoxMN]

Keith , the motor tank should NEVER get low. If it does, there is a bigger problem somewhere. Try to trouble shoot it, but if it keeps getting low, you have a leak somewhere, and should find it.

BTW - that friggin "guide" you had the other night didn't pan otu did he? I know the feeling At least you didn't have to deal with my neighbor

[hydro]

If your engine tank is not staying full when there is oil in the boat tank, you have a pressure leak between the motor and the boat tank. Check the caps on the boat tank to be sure the gaskets are in good shape and the caps are tight.

[marine_man]

Bottom line... the tank under the hood should be full at all times, unless you completely run the boat's tank out of oil.

If that isn't happening follow Hydro's advice above.

marine_man

[propster]

Okay Box, you started this, and now you have everybody barking up (I hope) the wrong tree My engine tank is not getting low. When the boat tank gets low, the warning beep goes off. I add oil. The warning still beeps periodically, though less, until I remove and retighten the engine oil tank cap once or twice, with the engine off. I took Hydro's suggestion to mean top the engine tank off because the float might be riding a little low. I wouldn't be able to fit much in, but that's what I thought he was saying.

ps: the guide wasn't so bad, we went out ourselves the next night and only caught one also. But I sure was able to keep the weeds off the bait better!